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Virtual musicians
by Silvia Francesca Maglione
A recent article on The Guardian reports that orchestras are likely to be soon replaced by “virtual musicians”. This nearly blasphemous statement is corroborated by an impressive invention. In Vienna, a highly technological audio software has been implemented. This microchip recreates human musicians and is able to fool (untrained) listeners. This remarkable computer program allows composers to compose, preview and perform the piece in real time on their PDA or notebook computer. While human musicians need time to rehearse (alone and in group), computers perform perfectly in no time. This software even gives composers the chance of avoiding to pay musicians just to hear how their music sounds on instruments. This striking invention will be wonderfully useful to countless composers (who can afford it).
This software was developed by two Austrian musicians of the Vienna Symphonic Library (VSL). The article reported that a former cellist in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Herb Tuchmandl, was eager to listen to his film music compositions, but constantly unable to pay musicians to try them. Furthermore he was discontented with the unrealistic sound of pre-recorded sound libraries and therefore, with a friend’s aid, decided to create his own software. This computer program has already been purchased by 10,000 people and costs between £500 and £6,000. VSL has already been used effectively to support the soundtrack in Lord of the Rings, and to create and perform the music in the movie Underworld.
The belief that computers will thoroughly replace humans is quite impractical. There is still a conspicuous difference in between live performances and VSL technology. One of these differences is in the ‘texture’ as the general manager of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Paul Hughes, explains, “the attack of the bow on the string. The computer version is almost too perfect. It’s impressive, but you don't have the right sort of phrasing”. Compared to human performances, VSL technology sounds too “bland”. When comparing Barber’s Adagio for Strings’ human recording, and VSL performance, it took Hughes just a few seconds to identify the VSL version. Nevertheless, the Fauxharmonic Orchestra, plans to release a recording of Beethoven's nine symphonies using VSL technology.
It is highly improbable that computer technology will someday overwhelm human passion, but the two things are not to be so disassociated; they can work concertedly for a better music market, and perhaps even open new musical horizons.
The views and opinions in this blog post are those of its author.
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